Method of producing tuberculosis protective and curative material



Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

PA ENT cl rics HANS LANGER, OF BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO I. G. FAR- BENINDUSTRIE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF FRANKFORT-OlI-TI-IE-MAIN, GERMANY.

METHOD OF PRODUCING TUBERCULOSIS PROTECTIVE AND CURATIV'E MATERIAL. I

No Drawing. Application filed September 28, 1925, Serial No. 59,196, and in Germany August 2'1, 1924.

It is known that tubercle bacilli increase in or upon artificial culture media materially slower than most of the other bacterial morbific agents;

5 It has now been found that by adding to artificial culture media organic substances having a poisoning effect upon bacteria, in such concentration as not to suppress the growth of the bacteria, there are obtained W cultures, which when transferred upon culture media containing the poisonous substance not at all or in reduced proportions, furnish cultures excelling by rapid growth. It also has been observed that the cultures 15 grown under the effects of the poisonous substances and the subcultures propagated therefrom show an increased virulence.

Such an increase in virulence can be observed already on initial cultures grown under the effects of irritants added to the culture media, when the irritant substance or poison is addedin such small quantities that the bacterial growth is not impaired as compared with the growth upon culture media intermediate transoculation upon a mildly poisonous culture medium is not necessary.

tubercle bacilli upon culture media contain ing poisonous substances, e. g. gold or arse- ,nious compounds and toimpart to they cultures appreciable quantities of the poison by gradually increasing the poison content and then to prepare therapeutic preparations from these poison-charged bacillus materials. o In contradistinction to such prior proposal,

the invention contemplates a single period substantiallyv free of poison; In this case an and degree of virulence, furnish a basis for It has already been proposed to grow of culture growth upon a medium containing a definite dose of an irritant or poison and preferably a further or second period of culture growth upon media containing substantially no poison. In this manner there may be obtained very young tubercle bacilli which do not contain any measurable quantities of the poison, but show a materially increased biological activity.

ExampZa-To glycerine bouillon is addmedia containing methylene blue or other forms of poison, is handled in the usual manner to form preparations for inoculation, consisting of live, weakened or killed bacilli.

In similar manner, quinine may be used 7 as poisoning substance. The dilution in that case may be in the ratio 1 :75 000. v

Claims:

1. Method of producing prolific cultures of tubercle bacilli comprising growing a culture of substantially pure tubercle bacilli upon a culture mediumcontaining an organic bacterial poison specific to tubercle bacilli in such concentrationas not completely to suppress the growth of said bacilli and transferring the cultures so obtained to a medium free from said poison. f 2. Method of producing prolific cultures of tubercle bacilli according to claim 1, characterized' in that the culture medium con-- tains methylene blue in the proportion of l part -of methylene blue to about 300,000 parts l of the culture medium.

- V HANS LANGER.

In testimony'whereof I afiix my signature. 

